Camp Patriot Hockey

Thursday

Nov 30, 2017 at 10:24 AM

Carrie Dungan crutledgeb

The Fayetteville Marksmen aren’t the only hockey team in town. The Camp Patriot Hockey Team consists of Fort Bragg active-duty Soldiers and a few civilians, many of whom have played together for several years, said Adam Kourelis, Camp Patriot Hockey coach, founder and president. Kourelis said the group formed in 2012 after a fateful phone call from Fort Benning’s hockey team. They were looking to travel to Fort Bragg and wanted a team to play. The group holds tryouts in October and competes against other military installations from November through June. However, the team’s mission is about more than just winning games, Kourelis said. “We skate to spread awareness about Camp Patriot, which is a wounded veteran organization out in Montana.”Additionally, he said the familial atmosphere is unique to the team. “It’s mostly guys I’ve known since I’ve been at Bragg for like 12 years, so it’s fun just being able to go out there and skate with them ... we have a good time no matter where we go,” Kourelis explained. He attributes some of the team’s success to their years spent skating together and knowledge of the skating styles and positions on the ice. For information on upcoming games, visit www.facebook.com/FortBraggPatriotsHockey.